Rewire Your Brain: Think Your Way to a Better Life

See also
neuroplasticity
neuroplasticity, 1–3, 20–22
attention and, 72
brain architecture and, 3–6
defi ned, 8–10
exercise and, 55, 119
FEED method for, 17–20, 26, 35, 
47, 55, 59, 183–184
humor and, 52–53
memory and, 79
mindful attitude and, 193, 201–205
neurons and, 6–8
overcoming fear and, 35
process of, 11–13
resiliency and, 166–167, 172
self-assessment for, 22–24
sleep and, 130
spindle cells and, 13–17
See also
anxiety; depression; 
exercise; fear; memory; mindful 
attitude; nutrition; resiliency; 
sleep; social medicine
neurotransmitters, 7
amino acids and, 63
epinephrine, 30, 31, 97–98, 
120, 128
GABA, 7, 63, 97, 98, 121
glutamate, 7, 11, 33
norepinephrine, 7–8, 31, 55, 73, 77, 
97–98, 99, 128, 181
serotonin, 7–8, 54, 63, 94, 99, 100, 
108, 121
sleep and, 128
social medicine and, 146–147, 
149–150
New York University, 33, 77
niacin (vitamin B
3
), 100
nonjudgmental attitude, 198
norepinephrine, 7–8
depression and, 55
memory and, 73, 77
nutrition and, 97–98, 99
resiliency and, 181
sleep and, 128
stress and, 31
See also
neurotransmitters
nucleus accumbens, 8, 50–51
Nuns’ Study, 180
nurturance, 3–6, 148–152
nutrition, 2, 89–92
amino acids for, 97–98
breakfast for, 92–94
dietary fat and, 106–113
fatty acids for, 113–116
memory and, 70, 84–86
minerals for, 98–106
neurotransmitters and, 63
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239
phytonutrients for, 104–106
sleep and, 132–133
sugar and, 94–97
vitamins for, 98–104
Obama, Barack, 148
observation, 198
occipital lobe, 4
OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), 
41–42
omega-3 essential fatty acids, 
107–109, 110, 113–116
omega-6 essential fatty acids, 110, 
113–116
open focus, 194–195, 200
optimism, 59, 170
orbital frontal cortex (OFC), 5, 30
bonding and, 60
left frontal lobe and, 56
maturation of, 183
as “social brain,” 16, 142, 146–147
spindle cells and, 13
organization, memory and, 69–72, 87
orientation response, 191
overgeneralization, 58
oxidation, free radicals and, 96, 103, 
110–111, 122
oxygen, 38
aerobics and, 54–55
anoxia, 178
exercise and, 120
oxygen radical absorbing capacity 
(ORAC), 106
oxytocin, 16, 60, 147, 162–163
pairing, memory and, 87
panic attacks
exercise and, 120
moderating anxiety and, 34–36
overcoming fear and, 29–30, 37–38
pantothenic acid (vitamin B
5
), 
101, 102
paradoxical sleep, 128
parasympathetic meditation
parasympathetic nervous system 
and, 195–198
principles of, 198
parasympathetic nervous system, 15
activating, 36–38
mindful attitude and, 195–198
See also
sympathetic nervous system
parietal (middle) lobe, 4
Pascual-Leone, Alvaro, 10
passivity
action 
vs.,
66–68
depression and, 46, 60–66
passive-aggression, 67
Paxil, 56
pegs, 80–81
pellagra, 100
personality, 79
personalization, 58
pessimism, 58, 61, 169–170
PFC. 
See
prefrontal cortex (PFC)
phase synchrony, 195
phenylamine, 97
phosphatidylcholine (PC), 112–113
phosphatidylserine (PS), 112
phospholipids, 112–113
phytonutrients, 104–106
pineal gland, 128, 131
pituitary gland
hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal 
(HPA) axis, 31–34, 43
overcoming fear and, 31
placebo effect, 56–58
plasma cytokine gamma interferon 
levels, 53
plasticity of brain. 
See
neuroplasticity
Plato, 160–161
pleasure
dopamine and, 8
positive thinking and, 50
social medicine and, 161–162
polarized thinking, 58
positive thinking, 50–55, 58–60
positron emission tomography 
(PET), 17
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
amygdala and, 32, 37, 39
exercise for, 121
practice, 10
mental practice and exercise, 126–127
for overcoming fear, 27, 28
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prayer. 
See
mindfulness meditation
prefrontal cortex (PFC), 5, 34, 42, 
50–51
left and right, 6
memory and, 70, 73–74
mindful attitude and, 190, 193–195
social medicine and, 157
priming, 156–157
Princeton University, 194–195
procedural memory, 75–79
procrastination, 39, 40
prostaglandins (PGE1, PGE2, PGE3), 
109–112
Prozac, 7–8
psychoneuroimmunology, 145
public speaking
fear of, 25–29
memory and, 81, 82
pyridoxine (vitamin B
6
), 101, 102
quiet environment, for meditation, 198
rapid eye movement (REM), 128, 134.